My 2012 Yeti Urban has had a tough time over the last few days.

Yesterday I noticed someone had damaged both the front bumper and front wing wheel arch moulding. Needless to say they didn't leave a note. My wife had been out in the car several times during the day and we therefore don't know where the damage occurred - anyone of around 4 destinations.

I decided to put this one down to experience, but little did I know what today would bring!!

Whilst dropping my daughter off for a week's camping this morning, we all got involved in setting up the campsite. My wife left her keys (house & car) and phone in the boot, whilst I'd left my wallet and phone in the glove box. I kept my set of keys in my pocket. An hour or 2 later my daughter asked me for a drink of water. I gave her the car keys and told her to look in the boot. She returned a few minutes later and told me she couldn't get back in the car! It transpired she'd used the boot release on the remote fob, put the keys down in the boot (alongside my wife's), had a drink of water and then shut the boot lid. The car had locked (deadlocked) itself at this point!

I borrowed a phone and rang Skoda Assistance. The operator told me they had a means of "bypassing" the cars locking system and that someone would be with me within the hour. An RAC patrol van duly arrived within the hour and I explained the situation to the patrolman - both sets of

car

and

house

keys in boot, car deadlocked, all windows closed, both mobiles in the car and both my wife's handbag (and purse) and my wallet in the car.

The patrolman tried picking the lock and also considered the option of forcing either a door or the boot lid with a small airbag. After around an hour of unsuccessfully trying to pick the lock he got back in touch with his control room for more advice. The only options forthcoming were trying the airbag or transporting the car to a destination of my choice. Given that both sets of my house keys were also locked in the car I asked him to try the airbag. He did briefly try it, but it quickly became apparent that we wouldn't be able to pry anything open sufficiently to retrieve the keys or operate the central locking.

At this point the patrolman suggested trying a locksmith (at my expense). We eventually found one prepared to have a look. He came and tried loads of different tools, but wasn't able to pick the lock.

By this stage we'd been stranded in a field (with no food, water, money, mobile phones or house keys) for around 5 hours. The locksmith told me he had a mobile key cutting machine in his van and could cut a key to open the car, if I could supply him with the key number. I wondered if this would be in the cars book pack, locked up at home. The locksmith said he could probably gain entry to my house (at the cost of a new door lock), but would only be able to cut a key with an appropriate code. The RAC patrolman also got back in touch with his control room and enquired if there was any way of obtaining the key code directly from Skoda (?? VAG) at 5pm on a Sunday afternoon. The RAC control room made a call, but were told that it would not be possible to release a code, without the authority of a main dealer.

At this point I had a decision to make:

• break into the car (smash a window)
  
• break into my house, hopefully find the keycode, cut a key and open the car
  
• have the car recovered to a destination of my choice and contact the dealer in the morning. The RAC even said they'd put me up in a hotel!
  

As my daughter desperately needed her camping gear, I needed to feed both my wife and other daughter and also needed to get to work (and gain access to my wallet, phone, house and keys to my other car) the only immediate option was to break into the car. I couldn't face smashing the window on my 1 month old car, but fortunately the RAC patrolman offered to do it for me. He taped up a rear window and used a centre punch to break the glass. This came away reasonably intact and we were in! All within the space of 2 minutes.

I now fully intend to get a spare key for both the car and house, should this situation ever arise again. Had it occurred at any other time I would probably have taken the RAC up on the option of transporting the car, probably to my local dealer, and the offer of a hotel for the night.

The only positive I can see from this fiasco is that a 2012 Yeti, once locked, is a very secure car indeed!

Anybody care to hazard a guess as to the likely replacement cost for a driver's side rear window on a 2012 Yeti Urban (sunset glass)??

Sounds like a job for

Seriously though, sorry to hear of your problems, hope they're sorted OK

Sorry to hear that. I don't know why the boot release button on the remote works that way -it's a very natural thing to put the keys down in the boot particularly if you are carrying something back to the car. I'm very mindful of it but I'm sure that either me or the Mrs will do it one day.

Hope it's not too expensive.

Sounds like a job for

Seriously though, sorry to hear of your problems, hope they're sorted OK

Yup, (costly) lesson learned!

At least you were able to tape it up first. Worst thing about a broken window is all the loose lumps of glass rattling round.

You did pretty much the only thing you could.

Even if you had of managed to prise a door open enough to operate the central locking it wouldn't have worked! Once a car is deadlocked that's it. The buttons or handles inside will do nothing!

I think there is a way to pick the drivers lock and operate the switch within it so you can then hold the switch in the unlock position and open the windows. I know this as there is some tinkering you can do with VDS-Pro to disable this security flaw.

Might be worth checking with your insurance if you have glass cover as you may get away with just paying an excess without it affecting your no claims.

Lesson learnt this time. Always make sure you have a set of keys on you or just leave the car unlocked.

Another situation to be cautious of is if you lock the car while the boot is open. It will lock the boot then when you close the boot it will arm the alarm but very easy to then put your keys down after pressing lock then close the boot. Did a similar thing in my old felicia.

Phil

Done that as well in Passat saloon, Breaking a window wouldn't have helped here though. Luckily spare keys at home.

Done that as well in Passat saloon, Breaking a window wouldn't have helped here though. Luckily spare keys at home.

How come?

How come?

presumably one without folding rear seats. I seem to recall the earlier (? prefacelift) models didn't have folding rear seats.

Just heard from the dealer.

The glass is just over £40 and labour to fit it ~£80 (1 hours labour), so all in all a bit of a result (was expecting a bill in excess of £200).

Interestingly the rear quater light glass would have been over £200 for the glass alone, so a good choice by the locksmith in suggesting breaking the passenger door glass.

on my mk1 vrs if u realise you've left the keys in the boot as it shuts and are very quick you can reopen the tailgate before the deadlock operates. ive had a few near misses when i first got the car

I don't see the point of the 'boot' button on the keyfob, why not just unlock all doors?

The risk of locking your keys in the boot far outweigh any of the benefits - are there actually any?

presumably one without folding rear seats. I seem to recall the earlier (? prefacelift) models didn't have folding rear seats.

Did have folding seats but they could be locked (and they were) with the key that was in the boot!

I would just claim off the insurrance, £75 excess.

Did have folding seats but they could be locked (and they were) with the key that was in the boot!

Ah right... annoying! lol

I don't see the point of the 'boot' button on the keyfob, why not just unlock all doors?

The risk of locking your keys in the boot far outweigh any of the benefits - are there actually any?

2 button remote FTW!

Got the car back today - window replaced at a total cost of £143 (£63 for the glass and 80 labour ~ 1 hour).

I had though it would cost in excess of £200, so a bit of a result.

I've also ordered another (non remote key) just in case I'm ever in this position again!

Dealer only able to supply a key coded to the car at a cost of ~£77. I explained I only wanted a key to operate the mechanical door lock, not start the car, but told it was not possible.

I decided to order a key blank from eBay and had my existing key copied onto it. Total cost £10 and it opens the door. Now just need to find somewhere safe to keep it.

If your really paranoid about this happenng again you could secure the key somewhere on the car, behind the grill, under the sills or behind the wing mirror glass.

I'm sure I've seen magnetic key boxes that can be hidden beneath a car... Dunno if you can still get them though, that was years ago.

I'm sure I've seen magnetic key boxes that can be hidden beneath a car... Dunno if you can still get them though, that was years ago.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=magnetic+key+box

attach this to your belt http://www.amazon.com/Chrome-Plated-Self-Winding-Chain/dp/B002PEFSWY

I don't see the point of the 'boot' button on the keyfob, why not just unlock all doors?

The risk of locking your keys in the boot far outweigh any of the benefits - are there actually any?

I use it a lot, and just always put the keys back in my pocket. You could disable it with VCDS.